@@ -2122,10 +2122,12 @@ Async and await
 Apart from the node classes, the :mod:`ast` module defines these utility functions
 and classes for traversing abstract syntax trees:
 
-.. function:: parse(source, filename='<unknown>', mode='exec', *, type_comments=False, feature_version=None)
+.. function:: parse(source, filename='<unknown>', mode='exec', *, type_comments=False, feature_version=None, optimize=-1)
 
    Parse the source into an AST node.  Equivalent to ``compile(source,
-   filename, mode, ast.PyCF_ONLY_AST)``.
+   filename, mode, flags=FLAGS_VALUE, optimize=optimize)``,
+   where ``FLAGS_VALUE`` is ``ast.PyCF_ONLY_AST`` if ``optimize <= 0``
+   and ``ast.PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST`` otherwise.
 
    If ``type_comments=True`` is given, the parser is modified to check
    and return type comments as specified by :pep:`484` and :pep:`526`.
@@ -2171,6 +2173,7 @@ and classes for traversing abstract syntax trees:
 
    .. versionchanged:: 3.13
       The minimum supported version for feature_version is now (3,7)
+      The ``optimize`` argument was added.
 
 
 .. function:: unparse(ast_obj)
 
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ Other Language Changes
   This change will affect tools using docstrings, like :mod:`doctest`.
   (Contributed by Inada Naoki in :gh:`81283`.)
 
+* The :func:`compile` built-in can now accept a new flag,
+  ``ast.PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST``, which is similar to ``ast.PyCF_ONLY_AST``
+  except that the returned ``AST`` is optimized according to the value
+  of the ``optimize`` argument.
+  (Contributed by Irit Katriel in :gh:`108113`).
+
 New Modules
 ===========
 
@@ -94,6 +100,14 @@ New Modules
 Improved Modules
 ================
 
+ast
+---
+
+* :func:`ast.parse` now accepts an optional argument ``optimize``
+  which is passed on to the :func:`compile` built-in. This makes it
+  possible to obtain an optimized ``AST``.
+  (Contributed by Irit Katriel in :gh:`108113`).
+
 array
 -----
 
 
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@
 #define PyCF_TYPE_COMMENTS 0x1000
 #define PyCF_ALLOW_TOP_LEVEL_AWAIT 0x2000
 #define PyCF_ALLOW_INCOMPLETE_INPUT 0x4000
+#define PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST (0x8000 | PyCF_ONLY_AST)
 #define PyCF_COMPILE_MASK (PyCF_ONLY_AST | PyCF_ALLOW_TOP_LEVEL_AWAIT | \
                            PyCF_TYPE_COMMENTS | PyCF_DONT_IMPLY_DEDENT | \
-                           PyCF_ALLOW_INCOMPLETE_INPUT)
+                           PyCF_ALLOW_INCOMPLETE_INPUT | PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST)
 
 typedef struct {
     int cf_flags;  /* bitmask of CO_xxx flags relevant to future */
 
@@ -32,13 +32,15 @@
 
 
 def parse(source, filename='<unknown>', mode='exec', *,
-          type_comments=False, feature_version=None):
+          type_comments=False, feature_version=None, optimize=-1):
     """
     Parse the source into an AST node.
     Equivalent to compile(source, filename, mode, PyCF_ONLY_AST).
     Pass type_comments=True to get back type comments where the syntax allows.
     """
     flags = PyCF_ONLY_AST
+    if optimize > 0:
+        flags |= PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST
     if type_comments:
         flags |= PyCF_TYPE_COMMENTS
     if feature_version is None:
@@ -50,7 +52,7 @@ def parse(source, filename='<unknown>', mode='exec', *,
         feature_version = minor
     # Else it should be an int giving the minor version for 3.x.
     return compile(source, filename, mode, flags,
-                   _feature_version=feature_version)
+                   _feature_version=feature_version, optimize=optimize)
 
 
 def literal_eval(node_or_string):
 
@@ -357,6 +357,34 @@ def test_ast_validation(self):
             tree = ast.parse(snippet)
             compile(tree, '<string>', 'exec')
 
+    def test_optimization_levels__debug__(self):
+        cases = [(-1, '__debug__'), (0, '__debug__'), (1, False), (2, False)]
+        for (optval, expected) in cases:
+            with self.subTest(optval=optval, expected=expected):
+                res = ast.parse("__debug__", optimize=optval)
+                self.assertIsInstance(res.body[0], ast.Expr)
+                if isinstance(expected, bool):
+                    self.assertIsInstance(res.body[0].value, ast.Constant)
+                    self.assertEqual(res.body[0].value.value, expected)
+                else:
+                    self.assertIsInstance(res.body[0].value, ast.Name)
+                    self.assertEqual(res.body[0].value.id, expected)
+
+    def test_optimization_levels_const_folding(self):
+        folded = ('Expr', (1, 0, 1, 5), ('Constant', (1, 0, 1, 5), 3, None))
+        not_folded = ('Expr', (1, 0, 1, 5),
+                         ('BinOp', (1, 0, 1, 5),
+                             ('Constant', (1, 0, 1, 1), 1, None),
+                             ('Add',),
+                             ('Constant', (1, 4, 1, 5), 2, None)))
+
+        cases = [(-1, not_folded), (0, not_folded), (1, folded), (2, folded)]
+        for (optval, expected) in cases:
+            with self.subTest(optval=optval):
+                tree = ast.parse("1 + 2", optimize=optval)
+                res = to_tuple(tree.body[0])
+                self.assertEqual(res, expected)
+
     def test_invalid_position_information(self):
         invalid_linenos = [
             (10, 1), (-10, -11), (10, -11), (-5, -2), (-5, 1)
 
@@ -369,16 +369,17 @@ def f(): """doc"""
                   (1, False, 'doc', False, False),
                   (2, False, None, False, False)]
         for optval, *expected in values:
+            with self.subTest(optval=optval):
             # test both direct compilation and compilation via AST
-            codeobjs = []
-            codeobjs.append(compile(codestr, "<test>", "exec", optimize=optval))
-            tree = ast.parse(codestr)
-            codeobjs.append(compile(tree, "<test>", "exec", optimize=optval))
-            for code in codeobjs:
-                ns = {}
-                exec(code, ns)
-                rv = ns['f']()
-                self.assertEqual(rv, tuple(expected))
+                codeobjs = []
+                codeobjs.append(compile(codestr, "<test>", "exec", optimize=optval))
+                tree = ast.parse(codestr)
+                codeobjs.append(compile(tree, "<test>", "exec", optimize=optval))
+                for code in codeobjs:
+                    ns = {}
+                    exec(code, ns)
+                    rv = ns['f']()
+                    self.assertEqual(rv, tuple(expected))
 
     def test_compile_top_level_await_no_coro(self):
         """Make sure top level non-await codes get the correct coroutine flags"""
@@ -517,6 +518,28 @@ def test_compile_async_generator(self):
         exec(co, glob)
         self.assertEqual(type(glob['ticker']()), AsyncGeneratorType)
 
+    def test_compile_ast(self):
+        args = ("a*(1+2)", "f.py", "exec")
+        raw = compile(*args, flags = ast.PyCF_ONLY_AST).body[0]
+        opt = compile(*args, flags = ast.PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST).body[0]
+
+        for tree in (raw, opt):
+            self.assertIsInstance(tree.value, ast.BinOp)
+            self.assertIsInstance(tree.value.op, ast.Mult)
+            self.assertIsInstance(tree.value.left, ast.Name)
+            self.assertEqual(tree.value.left.id, 'a')
+
+        raw_right = raw.value.right  # expect BinOp(1, '+', 2)
+        self.assertIsInstance(raw_right, ast.BinOp)
+        self.assertIsInstance(raw_right.left, ast.Constant)
+        self.assertEqual(raw_right.left.value, 1)
+        self.assertIsInstance(raw_right.right, ast.Constant)
+        self.assertEqual(raw_right.right.value, 2)
+
+        opt_right = opt.value.right  # expect Constant(3)
+        self.assertIsInstance(opt_right, ast.Constant)
+        self.assertEqual(opt_right.value, 3)
+
     def test_delattr(self):
         sys.spam = 1
         delattr(sys, 'spam')
 
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+The :func:`compile` built-in can now accept a new flag,
+``ast.PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST``, which is similar to ``ast.PyCF_ONLY_AST``
+except that the returned ``AST`` is optimized according to the value
+of the ``optimize`` argument.
+
+:func:`ast.parse` now accepts an optional argument ``optimize``
+which is passed on to the :func:`compile` built-in. This makes it
+possible to obtain an optimized ``AST``.
@@ -1208,6 +1208,9 @@ def visitModule(self, mod):
         self.emit('if (PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, PyCF_TYPE_COMMENTS) < 0) {', 1)
         self.emit("return -1;", 2)
         self.emit('}', 1)
+        self.emit('if (PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST) < 0) {', 1)
+        self.emit("return -1;", 2)
+        self.emit('}', 1)
         for dfn in mod.dfns:
             self.visit(dfn)
         self.emit("return 0;", 1)
 
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "pycore_pyerrors.h"      // _PyErr_GetRaisedException, _Py_Offer_Suggestions
 #include "pycore_pylifecycle.h"   // _Py_UnhandledKeyboardInterrupt
 #include "pycore_pystate.h"       // _PyInterpreterState_GET()
+#include "pycore_symtable.h"      // _PyFuture_FromAST()
 #include "pycore_sysmodule.h"     // _PySys_Audit()
 #include "pycore_traceback.h"     // _PyTraceBack_Print_Indented()
 
@@ -1790,6 +1791,24 @@ run_pyc_file(FILE *fp, PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals,
     return NULL;
 }
 
+static int
+ast_optimize(mod_ty mod, PyObject *filename, PyCompilerFlags *cf,
+             int optimize, PyArena *arena)
+{
+    PyFutureFeatures future;
+    if (!_PyFuture_FromAST(mod, filename, &future)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    int flags = future.ff_features | cf->cf_flags;
+    if (optimize == -1) {
+        optimize = _Py_GetConfig()->optimization_level;
+    }
+    if (!_PyAST_Optimize(mod, arena, optimize, flags)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 PyObject *
 Py_CompileStringObject(const char *str, PyObject *filename, int start,
                        PyCompilerFlags *flags, int optimize)
@@ -1806,6 +1825,12 @@ Py_CompileStringObject(const char *str, PyObject *filename, int start,
         return NULL;
     }
     if (flags && (flags->cf_flags & PyCF_ONLY_AST)) {
+        if ((flags->cf_flags & PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST) == PyCF_OPTIMIZED_AST) {
+            if (ast_optimize(mod, filename, flags, optimize, arena) < 0) {
+                _PyArena_Free(arena);
+                return NULL;
+            }
+        }
         PyObject *result = PyAST_mod2obj(mod);
         _PyArena_Free(arena);
         return result;